Why the Rachni Wars are so important in Mass Effect (Spoilers: ME1, ME2, ME3)

[@ExaltedMarch]

I don't know if this a "lore video" or just more commentary but maybe it's both? Anyway, hope you guys like it. Please feel free to give corrections on anything I got wrong or preferences/thoughts about the format used for videos like this. OK, corrections time: - "Ostracization," I feel like I'm not pronouncing it right no matter how I say it and now I'm not even sure it's an actual word anymore. Fun! That's about it until I think of anything else. Also wanted to say thanks again to Mass Effect New on Twitter (link in the description) for helping me out with a screenshot for my thumbnail!

[@Raez3k]

This was a great insight. This may be a minor spoiler for those that haven't played ME3 yet. But another interesting bit I seem to recall (I can't remember the exact quote) is that Javik mentions in ME3 after the Rachni mission encounter, that the Rachni were present in his peoples cycle but they were quite docile when they were first discovered (I think he says something about they spent most of their time singing to each other) and that the Protheans had selectively bred the most cunning and warlike of the queen's that were around at the time to promote their development into what could be used as a weapon for the Protheans to be unleashed against their enemies. He comments that unfortunately they became too cunning and warlike and eventually turned on the Protheans leaving them no choice but to wipe them out. He mentions that the Protheans had believed them to be eradicated but is surprised to see that some of them must have survived even into this current cycle. I always wondered if this offered another explanation for the reason why the Salarians first encounter with the Rachni was so hostile given that these leftover Rachni could be those that remained after the Protheans selective breading and Warfare against them. Regardless, really enjoying your videos lately. Good to see mass effect so popular again! Edit: I found a video of the conversation with Javik (the quality is a little poor given its age): kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4TXgJJphtN7o8U

[@happythoughts4553]

This is super interesting. Thanks for sharing

[@heartless2147]

I would say Javik confirms that Rachni are not naturally hostile, his people selectively bred the cunning and aggressive ones meaning there was a faction that remained peaceful. When the Protheans decided to purge them after their revolt, the peaceful ones most likely survived by burrowing deep underground and avoiding the conflict. They keep the tech that the war faction had and go on living, until they were indoctrinated by the Reapers, most likely Sovereign, sometime before the Salarians discovered them.

[@ladyphoenixgrey3923]

@@heartless2147 I thought the indoctrination was what made them immediately hostile to the Salarians. Cause the “sour yellow note” had already corrupted their songs.

[@heartless2147]

@@ladyphoenixgrey3923 They were indoctrinated eventually, but the Rachni War lasted hundreds of years. They were initially hostile because they were territorial, Sovereign indoctrinating them happened between the beginning of the war and the uplifting of the Krogan. By that point they were completely hostile thanks to Indoctrination, which forced the Salarians to uplift the Krogan in the 1st place. But before being indoctrinated, that was all primal instinct carried over from the ones the Protheans bred for war since Queens have complete genetic memory from previous generations.

[@ZrodyApo]

There was also a commentary / infos during the Leviathan DLC that speculate about the leviathans influencing the rachni a little, as if they were preparing them for conflict or as subservient species to defend them

[@benry007]

Weirdly its not actually hard to remember mass effect lore. The way they introduce different things is so memorable that the first game sets up 90% of the lore without it ever needing to monologue.

[@Pyromaniac77777]

Yeah I’d go as far as to say that if any of these events are difficult to remember for someone than they probably have no idea what’s going on at all in Mass Effect

[@sarenarterius6217]

The Rachni are alive in a lot of uncharted worlds, as you can hear their songs - it's very creepy!

[@virabelasan7565]

Great job Jordan! I always found the Rachni to be super interesting, and thanks for the video!

[@EmpressSectonia]

Don't forget that the Rachni Queen also mentioned "Songs of color of oily shadows." We also see these oily shadows in mass effect 3 in some of the dream sequences.

[@Arauto_Kagnos]

The Rachni are great.

[@misterlemons111]

Great video, I always wanted a reason or more like an explanation for why the Rachni were important and now I get, also i think the ME universe never made me feel like the Galaxy had mysteries yet to be found but you changed my perspective on that with the Rele explanation, again great job 👍🏻

[@josephmoore5422]

This got me wondering how much of Mass Effect covers AI restrictions. I know in the Citadel DLC we get a brief look and it mirrors the Quarian conflict. Or I guess all synthetic conflict seeing that is the theme of the game

[@ianchapman6254]

Here is the way I see it admittedly with a hefty dose of speculation. Remember that our cycle was utterly unique in that the researchers at Illos managed to turn off the Citadel Keepers and thus keep the station from opening to the Reapers when it was supposed to. Sovereign who was left behind to monitor this never did figure this out (at least not apparently), but did know that he somehow had to get to the Citadel to somehow open it up. I strongly suspect that the Rachni were Sovereign's first attempt to us them to get to the Citadel so he could open the relays. Later on when that failed, he then turned to the Geth. After Sovereign was destroyed the Reapers got more and more desperate (see ME2) and finally had to do this cycle the "hard way". If I am right (and I think I am), then this means that humanity was very nearly missed in this cycle, and humanity blossomed very late and so had view points and some tech (like QEC communication) that did not originate from the Reapers...which was the Reaper's biggest fear. Like I said, I don't know if I am right, but it feels right to me.

[@happythoughts4553]

Any thoughts on the similarities between the Rachni in ME and the Aliens from "Ender's Game"? That series is why I always let the Rachni Queen live...

[@XD3blaze]

The buggers. Speaker for the dead is probably the most impactful piece of science fiction I've ever consumed. Made the decision to free the queen extremely easy to make for me. Telepathic gigantic bugs that we couldn't talk to until it was far too late? Enders game was published in 1985 and to this day sits on the highest pedestal of science fiction literature along with Asimov. I have no doubt they lifted it from O. Scott Card

[@codyconnor6981]

There needs to be a game based on either the Rachni Wars or the Krogan Rebellion. Not only could it allow us to finally pick the race of our protagonist, but we’d also get to see what the Milky Way was like before humans were around.

[@josephmiranda7298]

This sounds like an in universe college thesis

[@scottvergin4732]

‘Attempting to intercept them.’ They attacked the humans, don’t act like the Turians are in the right. They are not

[@PR-xm5zc]

I'm wondering if the main villain in ME4 might be whatever caused the quarian ark to not make it to Andromeda

[@Road_to_Dawn]

I'm curious to see what you have to say in your Mass Effect 2 video lol. It's unashamedly my favorite in the trilogy, and in my top 5 games of all time. I've also heard some valid arguments against it, and so I'm really eager to hear what you have to say about it.

[@stakeaphobicz498]

The Queen basically said in Mass Effect 1 - Wipe out the leftover Rachni, they''re broken and can't be fixed.

[@smartalec2001]

300 years of war. 220 of them involving the Krogan. That's an insane thought.

[@jxckedgell3821]

For a krogan though that would probably be heaven 😂

[@ARGHouse504]

The fact that they are somewhat more prone to manipulation by Reapers and the Leviathans makes them dangerous. They still deserve a future, just as the Krogan, Geth and Quarians deserve also. They contribute to the construction of the Crucible, which makes em a handy war asset. Whether the Rachni will be manipulated by the Leviathans remains to be seen in ME4 remains to be seen. I would hope that they are in ME4, as Mordin said, the universe demands diversity.

[@phillipc1819]

Sovereign being the source of their aggression is more likely than the Leviathans. One, the Leviathans do not want to be found, the DLC makes that painfully obvious when they spend most of their time discouraging and killing those getting close to them. Two, Virgil the VI talks about how Saren was not his first agent and has likely spent centuries planning a way to take back the Cidadel. More likely, he sent the signal, didn't work, and used the Rachi as a way to probe the galaxy and possibly take over the cidadel. When that failed, waiting, gathered allies and information before brute forcing it in ME1 due to possible desperation.

[@johnkisir1456]

Im weird my two favorite species are rachni and vorcha.

[@COOKIE-gk9oc]

The irony! The Rachni war uplifted the Krogan, but simultaneously set them on the path of their peoples greatest defeat. Intrested to know if you chose cure or sabotage. My first play troughs I would always choose cure and allow the Krogan a second chance, but honestly... can the Krogan be trusted not to seek vengeance against the Salarians and Turians? Contemplating the sabotage choice for Legendary play trough.

[@McKeizor]

The difference is Wrex. He is a krogan who has vision and can see the big picture. Mass Effect puts a lot of emphasis on "the right person at the right time can make all the difference".

[@GlobeTrotter267]

If the genophage is sabotaged; and Wrex is dead from ME1. The Rachni will colonize Tuchanka in the epilogue of the series. I choose this as my canon based on the Javik's commentary about the Rachni and the Rachni Queen's conversations in ME1. You can save both species, but the Krogan are presented as innately aggressive and violent whereas the Rachni are presented as misunderstood (due to indoctrination) and inherently peaceful. I would rather see them reborn than the Krogan.

[@Lucifer_26]

@@GlobeTrotter267 That's interesting, because we know the council actually uses social engineering to influence the perception of the Geth and they perpetuate the thought that Krogan are inherently dangerous 'beasts' that should be contained (both can literally be heard in-game). Meanwhile in the game you get to explore the Geth and Krogan cultures and learn that that's just not true. If you support these races in ME3 to their fullest potential, you can see in the aftermath that both races flourish and contribute to the galactic community.

[@soulstealer5625]

@@Lucifer_26 I mean it depends. There are some good krogan but the krogan leaders who make into roles dictating the path of their species... they are pretty damn violent and warmongering. Heck they all agree on an insult “not worth killing”.

[@NyteShadesgamingzone2996]

In number 3 javik tells shepard they used the rachni as weapons for fighting the reapers.....

[@AnthonyFeiner]

Leviathans building a rachni army... ME4 plot confirmed?

[@neal_rigga90]

always free the rachni, just because they look like monster creepy crawlies doesn't mean they are. and that's saying something coming from me, I hate spiders and creepy crawlies lol

[@sirgideonofnir6840]

I kinda hope they can return

[@il400]

Idk why, I always called them the "iraq"-ni, the krogan fought in the Iraqni wars

[@jxckedgell3821]

I get that 😂

[@Ricos12345]

I’m a rachni queen.

[@DrGaslight187]

Yo I’m glad I found someone who’s also looking at ME2 critically. People call ME2 the best game of the series and I take that personally. ME3 is the best game in the series because of gameplay alone. I get the criticisms about the story but the gameplay made up for it.

[@fergusonthereaver6686]

Gameplay doesnt always make the game. And eveyrthing you said was an opinion not fact. Fact is ME 2 is by far the Best in the Series. My opinion is ME 1 is the best but thats my opinion.

[@actionhanz3420]

i didn't come here to talk to bugs

[@stofsk]

Why Is Mass Effect 2 So Overrated? I have come to my people.